A Fool's Errand (IC)

[GranspearZX]

GM

"Huh?" One of the other three blinked at Supercape, looking genuinely confused. "...but the power's not even connected yet. Hell, the lighting's not even 100% wired yet."

"And this isn't Star Trek. Engineering? Come on." Thomas looked as serious as he was skeptical. "Look, you could get arrested for trespassing on a work site like this... and the owner's kind of a jerk. So who are you really?"

All three men looked a little tense and nervous as Supercape was exposed, not entirely sure how to react...

[Supercape]

Supercape sighed. Deception was not really his thing.

With a sparkle and a shimmer, the overalls were replaced by the magnificent, spotless blue and white costume of Supercape.

"It's Supercape!" he proclaimed, hands open wide, with a half shrug and an akward smile.

"I suggest you all evacuate the building immediately" he continued "I have detected a very dangerous spacial anomaly growing inside of the building...one I must attend to immediately!" he emphasised with an upheld finger.

"Have any of you noticed anything suspicious on this floor?" he asked.

[GranspearZX]

GM

"You mean besides you?" Thomas quipped, making the other two laugh nervously.

"Not really... This building is pretty new, so there's not really much to be worried about..."

"Well, there is that foundation thing."

"Oh, right..." Thomas nodded, then looked back at Supercape. "I think it's just the building settling. Foreman went down and took a look and said nothing was wrong, but no one's been down there in days. Big 'off limits' sign down there and everything."

[Supercape]

"Aha!" said Supercape, slightly ashamed he had tried deception on the men...they were clearly the helpful sort. Perhaps his encounter with a rather paranoid biker recently had served to emphasise the virtue of caution in his brain.

"Off Limits, eh? we shall see about that...."

The pieces were falling together, but he couldn't complete the puzzle as yet. However, his suspicions were growing...

With a swirl of his cape, he took off, flying as fast as he could without risking an unhealthy collision, heading down the building, his senses alert for any oddity down below.

Somebody may have been planning this for a while...

[GranspearZX]

GM

At the bottom of the stairs was a wider corridor that wound its way underneath the building. There weren't any lights to speak of save the small, rectangular windows up towards the ceiling. A small sign indicated a "Maintenance Only" area, but the door was shut tight, with plenty of yellow caution tape criss-crossing the entrance. That in itself might not have aroused suspicion, but the smell of cigar smoke--strong enough to have been recent--hung heavily in the air.

Even standing in the lower hallway, the spatial disturbance was distressingly clear. At this point, though, it wasn't growing quite as fast. The energy was rising, of course, but it seemed to be plateauing.

[Supercape]

Supercape approached cautiously, studying the anomaly.

Energy levels stabilising...that's reassuring. At least that cuts down the chance of a world-wide...or more...disaster...

Best stay alert though...

He realised he mumbled those last thoughts out aloud.

Cigar smoke? he asked himself, sniffing. That made him suspicious. Somebody had been here, recently. Was this a man-made phenomena? The evidence pointed to just that.

He moved closer still, not daring to touch the source...yet...

[GranspearZX]

GM

The temperature was starting to rise noticeably as Supercape headed further inside, down another flight of steps. The lights here were all emergency lights; the building was still without power, and even these were flickering and largely unreliable. The hallway itself seemed old. Paint was peeling off of the brick walls where it wasn't littered with graffiti. About halfway down, the scent of cigar smoke became significantly stronger, and there were voices having a casual discussion much further in.

"...glorified babysitter."

"What're you complaining for? We get paid to watch a glowin' circle for a couple of hours. Big deal. Better than gettin' caught like those idjits workin' for the Hermit. That four-armed freak is nuts..."

"I'd take that action over watching that creepy kid. Hell, I'd almost risk goin' back to old Armstrong and taking a couple of broken bones."

"...shut up. Nobody's goin' back to that senile old geezer. He can have that rundown old shop; I'm out for some REAL power."

[Supercape]

Whats this? thought Supercape.

"What's this?" said Supercape to the men, walking in bold as brass (having doubly reassured himself his forcefield was fully active).

"A glowing circle? A four armed hermit? old Armstrong?"

He decided that sneaking was unlikely to get him anywhere. Unlike some heroes, he could not turn invisible, and unlike many more, he was not a super-spy or ninja.

No, all he had was his brain and the ability to unleash nuclear power.

"I do apologise, I couldn't help overhearing, and I am rather curious...I rather fear this whole place is in imminent danger of exploding or some other undesirable effect!"

He gave a low bow as introduction.

[GranspearZX]

GM

To say they were caught off guard was an understatement. There were only two of them, and Supercape's sudden and rather blunt entrance threw them off. The one on the right dropped the beer bottle he was holding, while the second, with a little more composure than his companion, drew a pistol. The second stood out clearly from the first in that the cigar smell was coming from him--he had two of them lit and wedged between his teeth, smoke billowing from his mouth like a chimney with every breath.

"Curiosity killed the cape, fella."

[Supercape]

"Gentlemen, please" said Supercape, unblinking. He looked down at the barrel of the pistol, which seemed entirely mundane.

"That weapon lacks the requisite kinetic energy to penetrate my force-field. You are welcome to try, of course, but the discharge may be dangerous. "

Never underestimate... he reminded himself.

"My only purpose here is to shut down whatever device or power surge has originated here. As far as I can see, you chaps have not broken the law. Yet..." he added, glancing down at the gun. "So now is your opportunity to prevent the untoward occurring...and tell me what is transpiring?"

[GranspearZX]

GM

"Is this guy for real, Trigger?"

The first man, notably younger and skinnier than the chain-smoking gun wielder, adjusted his glasses quietly as he regarded Supercape.

"I... I think this guy's for real, Smokey."

"...huh." 'Smokey' dropped the gun, exhaling a rather large cloud of smoke from his mouth. He pointed his index and middle fingers at Supercape, and a red sphere of flame began to form at his finger tips. "How about now, tough guy? Think that fancy little force field will keep me from roasting you alive?!"

The skinny fellow's palm met his forehead and he sighed heavily. He looked almost pleadingly at Supercape. "Look, can't you just... leave, or something? This isn't really any of your business, you know." He took another look at his all-too-eager companion and shook his head, removing a small cylinder from his belt. His grip around it tightened, and its upper end extended into a long, sturdy-looking whip. Every few seconds it buzzed with electrical energy. "This is exactly the kind of thing Knives got in trouble for. I'd really rather not have to deal with this..."

[Supercape]

"A good question!" said an alarmed Supercape, raising an eyebrow and his arms almost reflexively as the flame spurted like a flower blooming.

"One, I confess, I have no real intention of testing in the field. And I doubt you would do the courtesy of testing under safe experimental conditions!"

"In which case, I must throw some light on the matter!" he spurted out, eager to avoid being fried alive.

With a mental flick of the wrist, he excited a few molecules nearby to collapse, releasing their energy in an explosion of light....

[GranspearZX]

GM

The explosion of light manages to consume them both, forcing both Smokey and Trigger to shield their eyes. By the time they do, it's already too late, both of them clearly disoriented by the blast. Smokey lets out a few choice curses before his entire body is consumed in a burst of flame, leaving behind a rather sizable cloud of cigar smoke. Trigger's still there, however, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses.

"I-I wasn't ready!" He stumbles forward a few steps and clumsily swings the whip at Supercape, only for it to strike uselessly at his force field. "This isn't what I signed on for..."

[Supercape]

"I would be most interested in learning what you did sign up for..." replied Supercape, somewhat shocked at the Smokey's transformation.

"Clearly you have more than guns at your disposal. And seem determined to use them...." he answered as his costume, all brilliant blue and white started to shine a radiant blue, humming with power. His cape whipped round like a whip of his own, returning the attack at Trigger.

"And I am rather disinclined to be smashed to a pulp today. It is most disagreeable. I do hope you would stop this violence..."

[GranspearZX]

GM

Trigger was blown back by the aura, just as Smokey seemed to be regaining his vision. He was still seeing spots, though, and he extended his right hand out in Supercape's direction. Half of the burly biker's body was still visible in the floating smoke cloud; he looked like some sort of genie, almost, with his lower half a transparent wisp of smoke and his torso and head looking more or less solid. A ball formed in his palm, cascading flames from his fingertips until he finally released it. His shot wasn't a direct hit, but the subsequent explosion engulfed the area Supercape had been in. By some miracle, Trigger had been knocked back far enough that the blast missed singing him...

[Supercape]

"Ouch" commented Supercape, brushing away the smoke that sizzled around him. He had felt that, even protected by his quantum forcefield and mighty cape. He felt his costume burn and frazzle, and his skin smoke slightly.

Thats going to hurt in the morning. And my costume will need repair... he thought to himself briefly, before realising that he was in significantly more peril than he had first thought.

"I'll send you the bill for that..." he retorted, before rushing towards Trigger and clenching his fist. His blood was up now, he could feel the adrenaline levels rise....

And thus invigorated, he swung his fist, glowing blue-white-purple with excited atoms, into Trigger...

[GranspearZX]

GM

Trigger gets nailed with the punch, for all of his trying to defend against it. It was immediately clear that Smokey was the physically superior of the pair, and Trigger didn't seem to want any part of the fight to begin with. The blow knocked his glasses off and nearly floored him, only serving to make Smokey that much more angry.

"Hey! I ain't done with you yet!!"

As Trigger scrambled towards the back of the room, headed for a half-open doorway further in the darkness, Smokey's irritation took the form of a burst of flame aimed at Supercape. He still couldn't see, however, and the stream of fire scorched the ground several feet to Supercape's right, missing him completely.

[Supercape]

Supercape contemplated the situation for the briefest of moments. Whilst he had no intention of being singed by Smokey again...

...I can't risk either of them getting away. Something big is up, and either of them may know something...

He shot off, cape fluttering magnificently behind him, flying over Trigger and whirling around, his cape, still glowing with blue-purple radiation, swirling and slicing into Trigger once more.

"I'm sorry my friend, but I can't let either of you escape. Not until I know what on earth is going here!" he said, with genuine passion.

"Construction workers don't turn into smoke and throw fireballs every day!"

[GranspearZX]

GM

Trigger skidded to a halt as Supercape cut him off. He didn't have time to retaliate as Supercape struck him again, sending him flying. He landed on his back and the weapon he'd been holding skidded across the room, sliding back into a seemingly innocuous metal bar once it was out of his grip. "...this... sucks." And he was out cold.

Smokey, on the other hand, was furious. "I'm gonna burn that nosy nose of yours right off your face, cape!!" Both his forearms responded to his rage by becoming completely engulfed by the flames, and he sent a stream of fire in Supercape's direction. He still didn't seem to fare any better with his aim, blinded by rage now instead of the flash Supercape had performed earlier.

[Supercape]

One down...but don't rest on your laurels old man!

Nevertheless, he permitted himself a smile, partly of relief.

"I've dealt with plenty of fools and idiots in my time, but you two certainly deserve a special place in my gallery of knuckleheads!" he retorted at the enraged Smokey.

With that, he stretched out his mind to tweak a few atoms here and there, in just the right way. And with an influx of air and a wave of heat, bathed the man in a particular recipe of microwave radiation, exciting all the molecules of smoke and dust that Smokey seemed to me made of.

"And I am no fun of being singed like that!" he added.

[GranspearZX]

GM

Smokey was clearly not interested in talking. He plowed forward, smoke billowing behind him. He flinched only slightly as the wave of heat struck him. It didn't so much as slow Smokey down as the flames around his right hand intensified. It was clear in an instant that Smokey was just as comfortable in hand to hand combat as he was throwing fireballs at range, but his obvious rage was making him erratic. Smokey's flaming fist slammed against Supercape's force field, but it didn't seem to discourage him from trying to turn the inquisitive hero into ash.

[Supercape]

Supercape raised an eyebrow as Smokey walked through the microwaves as if they weren't there.

He threw his arms in front of him as the flaming fist plowed towards him. He had been in enough brawls to handle himself in a fight...just, but he was no fighter. He started to get worried.

"Oh dear" he mumbled to himself. Realising that this would only give Smokey more confidence.

He didn't generally like such dangerous tactics, but he really had no intention of eating a flaming fist and ending up with burns. With another judicious nudge of atoms, he released a massive pulse of gamma radiation that bathed Smokey in a rather gaudy green light...

[GranspearZX]

GM

It didn't take very long, swathed in gamma radiation, for Smokey to look visibly ill from the exposure. He panicked, staggering backward and hurling a fireball that went high, slamming into the large pipes lining the ceiling. The entire room shuddered under the force of the explosion that followed, filling the room with steam in a matter of seconds. "T-this ain't over, dammit!"

With the steam filling the entire room, he seemed reluctant at first but moved to make a break for the door through which Supercape had entered at the start of the altercation.

[Supercape]

Although the smoke blinded Supercape, he was by no means blind. He could feel the heat and energy, the crackle of infrared radiation, and even the mass of Smokey (what it was). He was able to shift around and manipulate tiny subatomic particles, and sensing those was not for the eyes.

"For pity's sake man!" he said to Smokey. "Desist! you are going to tear down the whole building if you carry on!" he said, yelling above the hiss of the steam.

He continued plowing gamma radiation into Smokey. The particulate form was, it seemed, possessed of unusual resilience, but it could not indefinitely survive the high doses of radiation Supercape was creating...surely?

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will have to unless you stop!"

[GranspearZX]

GM

"You couldn't if you tried!"

That, of course, was a bluff; he was tough, but not invincible. Supercape might have been able to sense Smokey just fine, but the opposite was far from true. This time, Smokey didn't just immediately start hauling fireballs into the steam--possibly because Trigger was still unconscious somewhere in it. For all his faults and thuggery, it seemed that Smokey still wouldn't put a comrade in harm's way. At least not deliberately.

"You give me Trigger and we don't have to find out what the melting point of bone is. How's that for a deal?!"